Tabulating mechanism for accounting machines



Sept. 28, 1943. w. A. ANDERSON TABULATING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTINGMACHINES Original Filed Dec. 29, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WALTERA. ANDERSON BY M AT TO R N E Y Sept. 28; 1943. w. A. ANDERSON TABULATINGMECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 29, 1939 3 s -s t2 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON W ATTO RNEY p 1943. w. A. ANDERSON J2,330,660

TABULATING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES I Original Filed Dec. 29.1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON ATTORNEY PatentedSept. 28, 1943 TABULATING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNT- ING MACHINES Walter A.Anderson, Bridgeport, Cnn., assignor to Underwood Elliott FisherCompany, New I York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication December 29, 1939, Serial No.

311,573. Divided and this application Decemher It), 1940, Serial No.369,464

3 Claims.

This invention relates to accounting machines, and particularly to amechanism for preventing undesirable cycling of the machine by carriagecontrolled cycle initiating mechanism while the carriage is tabulatingthrough one or more columnarpositions under the control of expresstabulating mechanism.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 311,573,filed December 29, 1939.

It is customary in bookkeeping operations to post two or more debit andcredit items in successive columns between the old balance and newbalance columns, which are usually atthe left and right extremities,respectively, of the work forms. Frequently there are no entries to bemade in one or more of the intermediate columns, so it is unnecessary tostop the carriage in all these columns. In such instances, it isdesirable to tabulate the carriage from the last intermediatecolumn inwhich an entry is posted, directly to a blank cycle column preparatoryto taking the new balance.

In some instances, one or moreof the columns that are skipped areautomatic cycle columns--that is, during normal operation of themachine, the cycle initiating means is automatically operated bymechanism on the carriage when the carriage moves into these columnarpositions. Therefore, when it is desired to tabulate the carriagethrough these positions it is necessary that the cycle initiatingmechanism be temporarily disabled so that the machine will not execute acycle while the carriage is moving through these positions. The primaryobject of the present invention is to provide such a disablingmechanism.

With this andv incidental objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, theessential elements of which are set forth in appended cla ms, and apreferred embodiment of which is hereinafter disclosed with reference tothe drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an accountlng machine of the type towhich my improved tabulating mechanism is adapted,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tabulating mechanism and thevarious controls therefor,

Figure 3 is a front plan view of the tabulating mechanism in normalposition,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the parts in theposition to which they r are moved when the customary manual tabulatingkey is depressed,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the parts moved tothe position that they occupy when the express tabulating is depressed,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the parts in theposition they occupy when the carriage is about to reach a predeterminedposition incident to express tabulation thereof,

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of a hinged lug that releases thetabulating mecha nism at the end of express tabulation.

Figure 8 is a fragmental right side elevation showing parts whichprevent the carriage from initiating a machine cycle at improper times,and

Fmure 9 is a detail view of parts of the carriage controlled cycleinitiating mechanism.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION This is an improvement on the machine dis-- closedin U. S. Patent No. 2,194,270, issued to Oscar J, Sundstrand on March19, 1940.

The machine includes the customary keyboard with amount keys, date keys,and totalizer and printer controlling keys. It has the customarytraveling paper carriage that is automatically tabulated from column tocolumn and returned from a predetermined point in the carriage travel,In the present machine, the power for imparting the leftward or workingstroke to the carriage comprises aspring drum which is connected to thecarriage by a tape, and the power used in returning the carriage isderived from the same electric motor that is used to cycle the machine.These power means, together with the clutch mechanism and appurtenantparts are disclosed in the above mentioned patent.

The carriage includes a control plate carrying a series of magazineswith control lugs for automatically controlling the numerous operationsthat are controlled manually by the keyboard. The forward ends of thesemagazines strike one of a pair of tabulating stops as the carriagertabulates from right to left, to arrest the carriage in the variouscolumns. The stops are arranged to be cooperatively actuated by eitherof two separate controls to release the carriage from one column to thenext. One of these controls is operated as an incident to each machinecycle to automatically tabulate the carriage to the next column, and isalso operated by the customary tabulating key on the keyboard, for thesame purpose. The other control may be termed an express tabulating key,which upon depression withdraws the effective tabulating stop fromengagement with its abutting magazine. The stop is then held in ineffective position 'while' the carriage passes through the succeedingintermediate columns.

When the carriage reaches the blank cycle col umn, an element carriedbythe carriage releases the tabulating sto to arrest the carriage in"this column.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION INDEX or TOPICS The machine sections.

. Carriage tabulating mechanism.

. Automatic tabulation of the carriage.

. Manual tabulation of the carriage.

. Express tabulation of the carriage to a predetermined column.

. Carriage controlled starting mechanism.

. Preventing the machine from cycling during travel of the carriage.

1. The machine sections Referring to Figure 1, the machine includes thecustomary keyboard having amount keys 2 and operation controlling keys 3including the customary manual tabulating key 4, an express tabulatingkey 5, type bars 6 for printing on the Work sheets, and a laterallymovable paper carriage mounted on a track 8. A control plate I! ismounted on the paper carriage and carries a plurality of controlmagazines !2 for automatically controlling the operations of the machinein predetermined columnar positions. The carriage is provided with thecustomary roller platen l3 and has a bail structure !4 for facilitatingthe insertion of front fed forms.

The machine is actuated by an electric motor (not shown). The motor isstarted by the closing of suitable switch mechanism and is coupled tothe main actuating shaft (not shown) by a suitable clutch mechanism upondepression of a motor bar !5.

2. Carriage tabulatz'ng mechcmtsm The tabulating mechanism is mounted ona plate l6 (Figures 2 and 3) mounted in the rear of the machine beneaththe forward end of control plate ll. Plate !6 is supported for slidingmovement in a direction parallel to the travel of the carriage. Thissliding movement is made possible through theprc-vision of slots I8registering with screws I! mounted in the machine frame. A pring 2!connected to the upper arm of a lever 22 pivoted at 23 tends to move theplate toward the right. The upper arm of the lever carries a stud 24lying within a recess 25 on plate It. The lower arm of lever 22 isconnected to a dash pot (not shown) of any desired construction. Whenthe carriage is released for tabulation, spring 2! moves the plate toits right hand position wherein the left ends of slots !8 are engagedwith screws I! as shown in Figures 2, and 6. i

A lever 26 is mounted for pivotal movement on a stud 2'! secured inplate !6. The right end of lever 26 constitutesa tabulating stop 30coacting with a companion stop 3! formed upon a slide 32 mounted forvertical movement on plate !6 by means of a screw 33 extending through aslot 34 in slide 32, and by a lever 35 pivoted to slide 32 at 39 andfulcrumed on a stud 36 secured to plate it. A spring 31 normally holdsstop 3! in its lower ineffective position shown in Figures 2 and 3. Aspring 38 tends to hold stop 30 on lever 26 in its upper position wherea lug 46 on lever 26 rests against a stud 45 on lever 35. As beforestated, the carriage is provided with a plurality of magazines !2 (onefor each position at which it is desired to have the carriage stop) toco'act with the tabulating stops 3!] and 3!. When the carriage is movedto the left by the spring motor, it brings a magazine I2 againsttabulating stop 3!]. The stop 30 is permitted to slide to the left,through the provision of a slot 4!, through which stud 2'! extends. Thistensions spring 38 until the left end of lever 26 strikes an abutment42.

The pring of the spring motor which pulls the carriage to the left hassuiiicient strength to hold lever 25 and plate It in their left handpositions (Figures and 3) when the carriage is at rest, causing springs38 and 2! to be normally tensioned.

When the carriage is in its position of rest, one of the magazines !2rests against the tabulating stop 3 When the carriage is to be releasedfor movement from one column to the next, stop 30 is lowered and stop 3!is simultaneously raised. These stops are so positioned that stop 3| iselevated suiiiciently to lie in the path of movement of magazines l2before stop 3!) is lowered out of the path of the magazines (see Figure4) so that before the carriage is released for tabulation, it moves fromits position of contact with stop 30 to a position of contact with stop3!, these stops being slightly offset in the direction of travel of thecarriage. After the stops are so moved, and the magazine !2 has movedinto engagement with stop 3!, plate 32 is lowered to its originalposition. This movement releases the carriage to the action of thespring motor which effects the desired tabulation. During thistabulation, stop 39 is raised by spring 33 to its normal position assoon as the magazine passes to the left thereof. This places stop 3%) inposition to engage the next magazine.

3. Automatic tabulation of the carriage Tabulation of the carriage fromone column to another by operation of the stops 3!! and 3! may beperformed automatically by the general operator of the machine. Toaccomplish this, the following connections are provided.

A lever 43 (Figure 3) is pivoted on a stud 44, and has its right endforked to engage pin 45 carried by lever 35. The left end of lever 43(Figure 2) overlies a slide 4'! corresponding to slide 685 in theaforementioned patent. As disclosed in this patent, during the firsthalf of a machine cycle slide M is raised, and during the second half ofthe cycle the slide is lowered. During the rise of the slide, stop 3!)is lowered as stop 3! is raised, and during the fall of the slide,spring 3'! lowers stop 3! to release the carriage for its tabulatingmovement. As slide 4'! ,is lowered, stud 45 (Figure 3) is raised,allowing spring 38 to move stop 30 into its raised position at theproper time, as explained above.

' 4. Manual tabulation of the carriage Mechanism similar to thatdisclosed in the beforementioned patent, and under control of thecustomary manual tabulating key, is provided to permit manual operationof the tabulating mechanism. This mechanism includes the customarytabulating key 4 (Figures 1' and 2) carried by a lever 48 pivoted on arod 5! fixed in the machine frame. The rear end of lever 48 carries twolugs 52 and 53. Lug 52 lies under the left arm of lever 43, and lug 53lies under the left end of a lever 54. Depression of tabulating key 4raises the left arm of lever 43, thereby raising the tabulating stop 3|and lowering the tabulating stop 38. When the operator releases "key 4,a spring 55 (Figure 2), connected to this key and to the machine frame,restores the key to itsrnormal position. This restoration allows spring3'! to lower stop 3|, releasing the carriage as above explained.

Lever 54 is pivoted on stud 21 and is connected with lever 25 by anintermediate lever 56 also pivoted n stud 21. The right arm of lever 56is connected with lever 26 by a pin-and-slot connection 51, and the leftarm of lever 56 has a shoulder 58 engaging the upper end of an arm 68pivoted at i to lever 54. A spring 59 connected between arm 60 and lever54 normally tensions the arm clockwise about pivot 6 I, engaging itsupper end with shoulder 58. This mechanism provides an alternateconnection between the tabulating mechanism and the key 4, so that whenthe left end of lever 43 is moved rearwarclly in the machine bydepression of the customary normalizer key 69 (Figure l) (the operationof which is fully described in Patent No. 2,194,270), to such an extentthat lever 43 no longer lies above lug 52 and slide 41, it will still bepossible to tabulate the carriage by depression of key 4. It will benoted, however, that in such instances, although lever 25 is loweredfrom the path of themagazine l2, the tabulating stop 3! is notsimultaneously raised as it is when these parts are operated by movementof lever 43. This is due to the fact that the lower arm of layer 26 liesunder the pin 45 but does not embrace it as does the right end of lever43. This makes possible express tabulation of the carriage until the"tabulating key 4 is released.

5. Express tabulation of the carriage to a predetermined column Asexplained above, it is desirable in certain bookkeeping operations totabulate the carriage from the last intermediate column where an entryis posted, to a predetermined column, without stopping the interveningcolumns. The mechanism for accomplishing this is under the control ofthe express tabulating key 5 and comprises a bell crank 62 (Figure 2)pivoted at 63 in the machine frame and having one arm thereof underlyinga pin 64 fixed on the stem of "key 5. The opposite arm of the bell crankis pivoted at 65'to a link 65, the opposite end of which is pivoted at61 to a depending arm of a bail 68 pivoted on a rod H secured in themachine irarne. Bail 58 has a forked arm 12 that embraces a pin 73 fixedon one end of a lever 14 pivoted on rod 5! adjacent lever 48. The rearend of lever M carries a 111* I5 corresponding to lug 53 on lever 48,and his rise underlies the left end of lever 54. By the connections justdescribed, depression of key 5 raises lever 54, and through itsconnection with lever 26, lowers tabulating stop 30 out of the path ofmagazines I2 to permit express tabulation of the carriage. It will benoted that depression of key 5 does not move lever 43, since there is nolug on lever 14 corresponding to lug 52 on lever 48. Therefore, stop 3!remains ineffective during these operations.

A latch 16 (Figure 3) is provided to hold stop 30 out of the path of themagazines l2 until the carriage has reached a predetermined positionwhere the latch is released to permit stop 30 to rise and engage thenext magazine. Latch 16 is pivoted on stud 36 and is normally tensionedclockwise about the stud by a spring N to a position where the latchbears against a pin 82 fixed in lever 26. A shoulder 33 is provided onlatch 16 to engage pin 62 and hold tabulating stop 38 out of the path ofmagazines l2 (see Figure 5) when lever 26 is actuated by the expresstabulating key 5.

To restore stop 38 to eiiective position so it can arrest the carriageat the desired column, lever 26 must be released after the carriagepasses the last column it is desired to skip, and before it reaches thecolumn in which it is to stop. To accomplish this, a magazine [2carrying a lug 84 (Figures 5, 7 and 8) is placed on the carriage in aposition immediately to the left of the magazine that is to stop thecarriage. The details of mounting lug 84 are shown in Figure 7, andcomprise a pin 85 that extends between the side walls of the magazineand on which lug 84 is pivoted. A spring 86, coiled about pin 65 andlying within a slot in the lug, has end resting on the lug and itsopposite end resting on the base of the magazine to normally tension lug84 downwardly, as shown in Figure 7. Lug 84 projects into the path ofthe upper end of latch 15 as shown in Figures 5 and 8. Hence, after thecarriage tabulates through the columns to be skipped, the lug strikeslatch TE. rocking the latch counter-clockwise about stud 36 against thetension of spring 85, and releasing pin 82 from shoulder 33, as shown inFigure 5. Immediately upon such releasing action. lever 25 rises underthe tension of spring 38. placing stop 36 in position to stop thecarriage at the desired column.

When the carriage returns to the right, after completing its workingstroke, lug 84 strikes the upper edge of latch 16, but due to its beingpivoted on its magazine l2, merely rises when it strikes the latch, andreturns to its lower position when it passes the latch.

The releasable connection between levers 54 and is provided todisconnect key 5 from lever 26 as soon as latch 16 becomes efiective tohold the lever in depressed position. This prevents the carriage fromtabulating past the proper position if the operator should fail torelease the key as soon as it is fully depressed. This connectionoperates as follows.

As lever 54 is raised by depression of key 5, the left side of arm 68strikes a pin 81 (Figure 3) on plate I6. This rotates armcounter-clockwise about pivot 6| against the tension of spring 58,withdrawing the upper end of arm 68 from engagement with shoulder 58, asshown. in Figure 5. This occurs immediately after shoulder 83 engagespin 82, so that as soon as lever 26 is latched down, the key is renderedineffective to hold the lever down, should the latch be released beforethe key is restored to its raised position. Upon the release of key 5, aspring 88, connected between lever 54 and plate l6, restores the lever,bringing the upper end of arm 60 into the plane of shoulder 58,whereupon spring 59 rocks the arm clockwise about pivot 6| intoengagement with the shoulder in readiness for the next operation.

It might be here noted that depression of the customary tabulating key 4during regular bookkeeping operations, where the normalizer key is notdepressed, will not cause lever 26 to be latched in itsdepressedposition. As explained above, depression of the tabulating key 4 whenthe no-rmalizer key is not depressed rocks lever 43 as well as lever 54,and rocking of lever 43 raises slide 32. In the present disclosure, slot34 in slide 32 is long enough to permit slide 32 to become effectiveagainst the magazines [2 when the slide is raised, but is at the sametime short enough to arrest the movement of lever 13, and consequentlykey 4, before the key rocks lever 54 far enough to cause lever 26 to belatched down.

6. Carriage controlled starting mechanism This machine is equipped witha mechanism similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 2,194,270 operatedby the carriage, as it moves into a columnar position, to initiate amachine cycle. This mechanism may be termed carriage controlled motorrepeat mechanism, and is operated by control lugs such as 9| (Figures 8and 9) placed in those magazines l2 occupying columnar positions whereinit is desired to have the machine automatically cycled. As the carriageadvances to these columnar positions, the lugs 9| engage a pawl 92 on asel'ector'lever 93 pivoted at 94 in the machine frame. The left end oflever 93 lies above a rod 95 suitably guided for vertical movement andhaving its lower end resting on the horizontal arm of a bell crank 96pivoted at 9? in the machine frame. The vertical arm of the bell crankis recessed to receive the lower end of a link 98 that is connected withmechanism for initiating a cycle (link 98 corresponds to link 26 inPatent No. 2,194,270) As lug 9| engages pawl 92, lever 93 is depressedto rock bell crank 96 clockwise and thrust link 98 forward to initiatethe cycle.

7. Preventing the machine from cycling during travel of the carriage Itmay be that in an express tabulating operation one or more of theintermediate columns that are to be skipped have their magazines l2equipped with lugs 9| to initiate cycles when the carriage is stopped inthese columns. It is therefore necessary to provide a means to preventthese lugs 9| from being efiective to start the machine when thecarriage passes through these columns. The following mechanism isprovided for this purpose.

An extension Hi! (Figure 8) formed on bell crank 96 lies in thehorizontal plane of a flange 32 formed on a bracket Hi3 secured to theright end of plate It (Figure 2). strikes stop 35 and pushes plate 16toward the left as before described, flange I02 is withdrawn from thepath of movement of extension Hil, as shown in Figure 3. In suchposition, bell crank 96 is free to be rocked to initiate the cycle asabove described. When, however, stop 30 is loW- ered out of the path ofmagazines l2, as it is during express tabulations, spring 2| (Figure 3)moves plate l toward the right to the position When a magazine l2 of theflange (Figure 8) is sufiicient to lock bell crank 93 against clockwisemovement so that a cycle cannot be started by lugs 9i. Pawl 92 ismounted in a frame Hi4 pivoted at M5 on lever 93. A strong spring H36connected between frame I34 and lever 93 permits the pawl to yield aslugs 31 engage therewith when flange I02 is in position to lock bellcrank 96 against rotation.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirablyadapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form ofembodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment invarious forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

In an accounting machine, a traveling carriage movable through workingand return strokes, means operated by the carriage for initiating amachine cycle, means for arresting the carriage in columnar positionsduring its Working stroke, a blocking means to prevent operation of thecycle initiating means While the carriage is traveling from one columnarposition to another, and means for withdrawing the blocking means fromeffective position by the movement of the carriage as the carriage isbeing arrested in a columnar position.

In an accounting machine, a traveling carriage movable through workingand return strokes, means operated by the carriage for initiating amachine cycle, means for arresting the carriage in columnar positionsduring its working stroke, the arresting means including a movablemember .on the machine frame, the carriage holding the member in oneposition, means connected with the movable member for blocking movementof the cycle initiating means when the member is in another position,the member moving the blocking means out of effective position when themember is moved by the carriage as the carriage is being arrested by themember.

3. In a machine of the class described, a traveling carriage movable toa plurality of columnar positions, means for initiating a machine cycle,

means on the carriage to operate the cycle initiating means, mechanismto tabulate the carriage from one columnar position to another, themechanism including a member mounted on the machine and moved in onedirection by the carriage as the latter moves into a columnar positionin which it is to stop, means to move the member in the oppositedirection as the carriage moves out of a columnar position, and meansoperated by the member to render the cycle initiating means ineffectivewhen the member is in the position to which it is moved when operated bythe said moving means.

WALTER A. ANDERSON.

